Medan Mayor Rico Waas launches new digital services and cultural initiatives

Medan Mayor Rico Waas has launched five new public service applications aimed at increasing transparency and efficiency. The new tools include PENGAWASMU for the Inspectorate, FAST TRACK PD for licensing, SOREDAY for tourism, SITANGKAS for disaster management, and SIP-KURASI for cooperatives and SMEs.

To improve accessibility, the Mayor proposed integrating public services and complaints through WhatsApp using artificial intelligence. This system would allow citizens to submit documents and reports via messaging, with AI providing responsive, human-like interactions and automatically forwarding issues to relevant departments.

In a separate initiative, Rico Waas is working to preserve local cultural identity among the youth. He has encouraged the Inter-Institutional Customary Communication Forum (Forkala) to engage younger generations and proposed introducing local language instruction in schools for 15 minutes daily. Additionally, he aims to transform the Kesawan area into a cultural hub featuring traditional arts, culinary offerings, and interactive traditional games.